1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric guitars having a stringed bridge of the type including mechanisms for producing tremolo and, more particularly, to such a guitar incorporating a releasable retainer for maintaining the arm of such a tremolo device in a fixed settable position.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Stringed instruments such as guitars are frequently fitted with, or originally provided with, a device known as a "tremolo" device. As is the usual practice, a tremolo device is anchored to the face of the guitar and includes the bridge end of the strings. The other end of the strings is at the nut which is near the position where the strings may be tightened or loosened by customary means. Adjustment of the tremolo device and therefore the tension on the strings is achieved by means of manipulation of a lateral extending arm which outwardly projects from a portion of a movable bridge carried on the instrument. The guitarist manually moves the tremolo arm until the proper or desirable string tones have been achieved and these moves are intentional and controllable. The purpose of the tremolo device is to allow a guitarist to intentionally alter an existing string tone or existing string tones by an increase or decrease of string tension by manipulation of the tremolo arm. The tone changes are impressive and useful to a guitarist.
However, during the course of play, many inadvertent changes or modifications may be experienced which disturb the tune of the strings. These may be due to the bending pressures, broken strings, stretching of strings or by involuntary application of pressure to the bridge such as by resting of the player's palm thereon. Any change or modification to the setting or tune of one string will adversely affect the setting or tune of the others.
Therefore, a need has existed to provide a means for maintaining and stabilizing the strings in a properly tensioned condition regardless of the aforementioned problems. Such a retaining device may cooperate with the conventional tremolo arm as a means for positive string stabilization.